Mission of the programs

The PhD Program prepares students to become public intellectuals and transformative practitioners in shaping the environment at all scales – from the design of cities, buildings and landscapes, to interiors, products and graphics, to the arts.

Goals of the program

The PhD Program has two goals:

• To educate people who will pursue academic paths or assume leadership roles in professional design, environment and art practices, the public sector and the nonprofit sector.
• To educate people who will emphasize sustainability, innovation, community building, cultural and contextual awareness.

PhD interdisciplinary experience opportunities

The PhD in Design, Environment and the Arts Program in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts strongly believes in the benefits derived from an interdisciplinary experience while at ASU. Consequently, the PhD Program developed several academic connections with other programs at the university. Such connections provide our PhD students with enviable opportunities for interdisciplinary studies and research. For example, many courses offered in these programs are both relevant and available to PhD students. Furthermore, faculty members from these other programs can participate as members of a student's dissertation committee, although they cannot serve as chairs.